Problem determination for computing systems is a complex process through which computer problems are reported, diagnosed and solved. A typical sequence is for a problem monitoring system. The process continues with basic diagnosis by first level support personnel based on documented procedures. Simple issues such as password reset or file restoration can often be resolved without progressing further. For problems needing further investigation, they are then passed on to more skilled personnel such as system administrators otherwise known as SA's.
When solving computing system problems, administrators often consult monitoring tools that provide some specific system indicators as well as physically access the problematic system to collect additional detailed information using system utilities. Since there are generally few problem determination tools available on most systems, SA's rely on system commands or small scripts in order to obtain system details that are related to the problem cause. In the course of day-to-day problem management, this process is often the most time consuming and expensive task for SA's because it requires field experience and expert knowledge in diagnosing problems.
In addition to the limitation of tool availability, many SA's write their own homegrown tools for monitoring system status and collecting system details. Knowledge used for determining the root cause of various problems is not shared among various SA's in a centralized database of problems and root causes.
Thus there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for rule based directed problem resolution.